Law enforcement agencies across several German states have apprehended additional individuals linked to the “Reichsbürger” group centered around Prince Reuß, as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Bavarian State Criminal Office (LKA) reported on Thursday that the investigation has identified further individuals alleged to have provided support to the group or participated in preparatory actions. The LKA’s State Protection Department, under the direction of the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office, has assumed investigations against six individuals associated with this network.
The accused are suspected of being members or supporters of the association and of having participated in a firearms training exercise, alongside already-detained central figures, in April 2022. This training, which took place at a former Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) shooting range near Bayreuth, involved both short and long firearms. Authorities believe this training was intended as preparation for a potential attack on the German Bundestag (parliament).
Early Thursday morning, a coordinated series of eight searches were conducted across Bavaria (4), Saxony (3) and Thuringia (1). Seven of the searches targeted the residences of the suspects, while one search was conducted on the premises of a third party or witness. Locations searched included the districts of Forchheim and Nürnberger Land in Bavaria, the Erzgebirge district and Chemnitz in Saxony and the Eichsfeld district in Thuringia. The suspects include five men and one woman, ranging in age from 40 to 61.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office had previously secured arrest warrants for three male suspects, based on strong suspicion of membership in a terrorist organization and preparation of a high-treasonous undertaking. These warrants, along with search warrants issued by the Higher Regional Court of Munich, were executed during the coordinated raids. Due to the nature of the allegations, special operations units from each respective state were deployed to the majority of search locations.
During the searches, authorities secured various items subject to weapons laws, as well as data storage devices which are now being analyzed for incriminating or exculpatory evidence. Bavarian investigators were supported by units of the Bavarian riot police, the Upper Franconia Police Headquarters and investigators from Thuringia and Saxony. Approximately 300 police officers were involved in the operation.
